Burglar alarm having both visual and audible alarm means



Dec. 23, 1958 R. A. GORDON BURGLAR ALARM HAVING BOTH VISUAL AND AUDIBLEALARM MEANS Filed March 28, 1956 6 29 an 8 15 j 6 1N VEN TOR. A. ozva/vBy va M 8% ATTORNEY dow or door.

United States Patent BURGLAR ALARM HAVING BOTH VISUAL AND AUDIBLE ALARMMEANS Richard A. Gordon, Freeport, N. Y.

Application March'28, 1956, Serial No. 574,441

1 Claim. (Cl. 340-276) This invention relates to an electrical burglaralarm for the conventional double hung window which will give warning ifthe window is opened by an intruder.

Burglar alarms, per se, are not new and a number of such devices havebeen previously constructed to give warning of the approach of anintruder through a win- The prior devices, however, have been unwieldy,expensive, and relatively difiicult to install.

The instant invention has for its principal object the construction ofan electrical window burglar alarm for a window of the double hung typehaving vertically movable leaves (the conventional English-type window)which will be small and compact, low in price, and capable ofinstallation with the most simple tools.

The invention has, for a further object, a construction which will causethe device to operate should an intruder cut the conductors connectingthe actuating switch to the remainder of the device.

A further object of this invention is to produce an electrical windowburglar alarm which will continue to operate even if the intruderde-activates the actuating switch.

A further object of this invention is to produce an electrical windowburglar alarm which will contain both electrical sounding means andelectrical illuminating means wherein the light produced by actuation ofthe illuminating means will be directed upon the window opening toilluminate the intruder.

The invention may be biefly described as comprising, in combination andin interconnected operative relationship, a first electrical actuatingswitch adapted to be con nected across the window and to be actuatedwhen the window is opened, electrical relay means closed by actuation ofthe first switch means and held closed when once actuated, additionalelectrical switch means actuated by closure of the relay means, andmeans for connecting the burglar alarm to a source of electrical power.

In the illustrated form of this invention, which is merely one form thatit may take, a casing is provided which may be secured to the interiorof the room to be protected in any convenient spot. The first actuatingswitch is located without the casing and has a downwardly movableactuating arm extending across the horizontal junction of the leaves ofthe window with a downwardly depending portion resting upon one of theleaves when the window is closed and the switch is in inoperativeposition. Means are provided for urging the arm into a downwardoperative position upon movement of one of the leaves. Where this deviceis used upon a casementtype window the actuating arm extends across thejunction between the openable portion of the window and the framethereof with the downwardly depending portion of the arm resting uponthe openable portion.

The casing contains a relay which is adapted to be closed by actuationof the first actuating switch and is held in closed position when onceactuated. The relay is formed with a projecting arm which extendsthrough an opening in the casing. Additional switch means are locatedupon the projecting arm and are actuated by closure of the relay. Anelectrical sounding device and an electrical illuminating device arealso within the casing and each are in abutting relationship with anopening therein. Reflector means are provided within the casing fordirecting the light produced by the illuminating device upon the windowopening.

The projecting arm of the relay, which moves toward the body thereof toclose the same, may be manually moved away from the body of the relay todisconnect the device. This manual movement is performed by thehouseholder after the device has operated and has served its purpose.The projecting arm is placed in a nonobvious position upon the devicewhere it normally would not be noticed by an intruder.

The preferred construction of the invention as illustrated also containsa battery within the casing which serves as a source of electricalpower, making the device independent of an external current source.Electrical conductors are also provided operatively joining all of theparts of the device.

The invention will be further described by reference to the accompanyingdrawings which are made a part of this specification.

Fig. l is a front cross-sectional view of the casing of one form of theburglar alarm of this invention with the position or the first actuatingswitch indicated.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1taken along lines 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical circuit connections ofthe invention shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through a closed double hung window with thefirst actuating switch in operative position thereupon showing theposition of the parts.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the first actuatingswitch of the invention showing the internal construction thereof withthe switch in operative position, with the inoperative position of theswitch indicated by phantom lines.

Pig. 6 is a sectional view through the switch showing of Fig. 5 takenalong lines 66 of Fig. 5.

Rer'erring now to the specific form of the invention as shown in thedrawings for a detailed description thereof; a hollow casing 10 isprovided with a plurality of openings 11, 12, 15, and 14 therein. Afirst switch 15 is formed with a downwardly movable actuating arm 16which has an offset portion 17. Arm 16 extends trans.

versely across the horizontal junction 18 of the vertically movableleaves 19 and 20 of the window to which the first switch is attached andportion 17 of arm 16 rests in inoperative position upon leaf 19 of thewindow when the window is closed. When switch 15 is thus inoperative arm16 is clear of contact 21. Arm.16 is of spring material and springsdownwardly against contact 21 when leaves 18 or 19 are moved to open thewindow thereupon actuating the device as will be subsequently explained.

Wires 22 and 23 are provided to join switch 15 to the remainder of thedevice and extend into casing 10 through openings 11. Wires 22 and 23are fastened to switch 15 by screw contact 24 and an additional screwcontact (not shown).

Relay 25 consists of a soft iron core 26, a coil 27, and a projectingarm 28. Arm 28, which is conductive along its entire length, bearscontact points 29, 31, and 32. Additional contact points 33 and 34- arealso provided which, in addition to the lower contacting surface of core26, are spaced from contact points 29, 31 and 32, but points 2926, 3134and 3233 are adapted to be brought into contact by upward movement ofarm 28.

3 The point sets 2926, 31--34 and 3233 are actually electrical switches.

Relay 25 is also joined to terminal 37 of battery 35 by wire 40.

Electrical sounding device 38 is joined to terminal 37 of battery 35 bywire 50. Wire 50 is secured to terminal 39 of sounding device 38.Another branch of wire 50 joins terminal 37 of battery 35 to terminal 41of socket 42 of illuminating device 60. Bulb 43 is disposed Withinsocket 42 and reflector 44 surrounds bulb 43. Reflector 44 and soundingdevice 38 are located within casing and are in abutting relationshipwith openings 12 and 13 of casing 10. Casing 10 is so constructed thatthe light produced by bulb 43 will fall upon the window opening.

Terminal 46 of sounding device 38 and terminal 45 of socket 42 arejoined to arm 28 of relay 25 by wire 60.

The operation of this device will now be explained.

When the device is not desired to operate upon opening of the window towhich the actuating switch is secured, a nonconductive bar 61 made ofwood, cardboard, plastic or other nonconductive material, is placedbetween the bottom portion of arm 16 of switch 15 and the upper portionof contact 21. This position is shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. In thisposition, as is seen, even if arm 16 moves downwardly no electricalcontact can be produced.

When the householder leaves his home he closes the window and removesbar 61 from its position. At this point arm 16 is still in an upwardinoperative position because of its location upon leaf 19. It is notedthat, in this position, arm 16 is still clear of contact 21. If anintruder should move either leaf 19 or 20 to open the window arm 16,which is of spring material, will spring downwardly and engage contact21 closing an electrical circuit. This in turn will close the circuitbetween battery 35 and relay 25 causing core 26 of relay 25 to becomemagnetized and drawing arm 28 toward core 26. Movement of arm 28 willclose the circuit between points 29-26, 31-34 and 32-33. The contact ofpoints 3134 closes an independent circuit between battery 35 and relay25 so that even if arm 16 is moved away from contact 21 core 26 willstill remain magnetized and relay 25 will remain closed.

Closure of relay 35, as stated previously, brings points 32-33 intocontact and thus closes a circuit between battery 35, sounding device 38and illuminating device 60 causing these devices to become operative andgive warning of the intruders attempt to gain entrance to the building.

The device will continue to operate until the householder wishes to turnit oif which he can do by manually moving arm 28 out of contact withcore 26 opening the entire circuit and rendering the device inoperativeawaiting the next actuation. In order to prevent the intruder fromdiscovering this procedure arm 28 is placed in an unobvious position.

In the drawing of this invention, for clarity of illustration, wires 22and 23 are shown spaced apart a much greater distance than they actuallyare. Wires 22 and 23 are either placed in one conductor insulated fromone another or are in abutting relationship. Thus, if an intruderattempts to cut wires 22 and 23 at the same time with any metal tool hewill close the identical circuit as is closed by actuation of switch 15and will actuate the device.

The foregoing specific modifications of this invention as set forth inthe specification and drawings herein are for illustrative purposes andfor purposes of example only. Various changes and modifications may bemade within the spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

An electrical burglar alarm for a window having an openable portioncomprising, in combination and in interconnected operative relationship,a switch having a movable actuating arm formed with a depending portionthereupon extending transversely across the junction between saidopenable portion and the remainder of the window and resting ininooperative position upon said openable portion when said openableportion is in closed position; means for urging said arm into anoperative position upon movement of said openable portion, a casinghaving a diagonal lower face adapted to be vertically disposed abovesaid window, said casing being provided with an opening within saidlower face and an additional opening elsewhere therewithin, a relaywithin said casing closed by actuation of said first switch and heldclosed when once actuated, an additional switch actuated by closure ofsaid relay, a downwardly directed reflector within said casing inabutting relationship with said additional opening, said bulb and saidsounding device being actuated by said additional switch, the lightproduced by said bulb being directed upon said window opening, a manualresetting device without said casing for opening said relay afterclosure thereof and thereby disconnecting the device, a battery withinsaid casing, and electrical conductors operatively interconnecting allof the parts thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,204,513 Smith Nov. 14, 1916 1,738,243 Hedberg Dec. 3, 1929 1,808,491Bellman June 2, 1931 2,634,409 Walcher Apr. 7, 1953 2,724,823 ToepferNov. 22, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 63,912 Switzerland Feb. 4, 1913

